Boat propelling device



Nov. l, 19,37.v

B.. STREZOFF BOAT PROPELLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 20, 1956 www l Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNI-TED STATES eATENIT lOFFICE BOAT PROPELLING DEVICE Bogoiav Strezo, Minneapolis, Minn.

j' I` Application August 20, 1936, Serial No. 96,992

` 1:01am; V(Cl. 11s- 24) Y for propelling* a'. small boat, such as a row boat, puntaorfcanoe.

Wliiclihis driven by an crank shaft operated by a pumping action from the feet or hands ofthe operator.' v Y Y Itis a.: further; object to provide apropelling unit of the class described wherein provision is madeiinitheunit and propeller-supporting means foruturning and steeringtheboat. I

`More specificallyit isian'object torprovide a wi compact .boat propellingdevice wherein vall work'- ingfmechanis'm is mounted upon a suitable standardormounting. adapted to be readily secured to the bottom of the boat and wherein provision is made-fors conveniently` supplying hand or foot DOwer to produce a rapid revolution of the propeller and wherein, moreover, provision is made in the construction of the propeller mounting and its supportingY sleeve to enable the boat to be effectively steered.

In my improved structure, the propeller driving shaft extends vertically and is housed in a sleeve which extends through the bottom of the boat and carries at its lower end a closed housing for the propeller. 'Ihe said housing is mounted to constitute a rudder whereby the boat may be steered by oscillating its supporting sleeve.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view showing a at bottomed boat which has installed therein an embodiment of my propelling unit, said unit being shown in side elevation; y

Fig. 2 ls a vertical section taken approximately axially of the tubular mounting of the standard;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my propelling mechanism; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

As shown in the drawing, my boat propelling unit is installed in a flat bottomed row boat B having the usual bottom 5 provided with a keel 6 and having the stern seat 1 supported, as shown,

the seat.

This invention .relate's'to devices or mechanisms My improvedrmechanism, as shown, includes an upright Ytubularm'ounting 9" having a base flange 9a which isfsecuredfby bolts or other suitable means tothebottomV ofthe boat, preferably above the keelt'. The tubular mounting is provided adjacent its" upper andi lower ends, respectively, with. suitable bearings I0 and II1in which is journaledxfor oscillation, an upright steering sleeve I2. Steering sleeve I2, as shown, carries a.' thrust flange I2a. adjacentl its `upper end whichV is suppo'rted'upon 'the upper end vof the mounting 9 toretain the sleeve against longitudinaldisplacement. The lower. end'of sleeve I2 as vshowirproject's through the bottomxof the boat and the keel lian'd` afsuitable packing gland lsurrounds thedepending portion vofthe sleeve forming fa sealed joint between the sleeve and thevbottom` ofthe keel.

' Tohthe.Y depending'end .of `steeringfsleeve` I2.' is secured a housing I4 which is preferably tapered in a horizontal plane from its rear to its forward end, to furnish as little obstruction to the water as possible in the movement of the boat and this housing is of such length and surface area as to constitute an eicient rudder for the boat, its operation being controlled bythe oscillation of sleeve I2. A suitable stub'propeller shaft I5 is journaled at its rearward and forward portions in housing I4 and the propeller I6 is afxed to the rear extremity of said stub shaft, as clearly sho-wn in Figs. 1 and 2'.

A vertical propeller-driving shaft Il is suitably journaled in upper and lower bearings carried by the steering sleeve I2 (see Fig. 2) and has a bevel gear I8 affixed to the lower end thereof below the lower end of sleeve I2, which bevel gear is aixed to the stub shaft I5 within the housing I4. As shown, the bevel gear I8 is of greater diameter than the gear I9, causing revolution of the propeller at a somewhat greater speed than the revolution of thepropeller-driving shaft.

At the upper end of the propeller-driving shaft I1, a bevel gear 20 is secured, being meshed with a larger bevel gear 2l, journaled for revolution pins to which foot pedals 26 are pivotally attached.

The crank shaft 25 is located at a suitable height to enable it to be conveniently paddled by a person sitting on the rear seat of the boat.

To conveniently steer the boat from the seat 1, I provide la steering shaft 21 journaled in a rugged bracket 28 which is aixed to the rear of the tubular mounting 9, the bearings for said shaft having a common axis and being inclined at a convenient angle to the vertical. The lower end of the shaft 21 is provided with a bevel gear 29 which is meshed with a larger bevel gear 3U rigidly xed to the upper end of the steering sleeve I2.

All of the moving parts, it will be noticed, are secured to or supported from the rugged mounting or standard 9 and are Very compactly arranged with respect to each other and with said mounting.

In operation, the operator sits upon a seat conveniently located behind the unit and pedals the crank shaft while holding on to the steering wheel, thus steadying himself and facilitating the pedalling of the crank shaft. The transmission means between the crank shaft and the propeller including the large gear 24, small gear 23, the bevel gears 2D and 2l and the bevel gears I8 and I9 disposed within the housing, cause the propeller to be revolved at a relatively high speed compared with the speed of the crank shaftvTo steer the boat, it is only necessary to manipulate the steering wheel 21a which turns the steering sleeve I2 and the rudder housing I4 with the propeller mounted therein.

The unit is very quickly attached to the boat by merely forming a suitable hole through the bottom and keel of the boat through which the rudder sleeve I2 may be projected. The upright mounting 9 is then attached by its base 9a to the bottom of the boat and the housing I4 is then secured to and sealed with the lower end of sleeve I2 below the bottom of the boat.

In the operation of my device, the large gear 24 having considerable weight acts as a fly-wheel for the device shifting in the production of a steady propelling power.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and compact boat propelling unit which is adapted to be manufactured at relatively low cost and which enables an operator to drive manually or by foot power a small boat at fair speed.

What is claimed isz- In a boat propelling device, an upstanding mounting adapted to be secured to the bottom of a boat, a hollow casing rotatably mounted within said mounting and extending through the bottom of said boat, -a propeller mounted for rotary movement on a horizontalv axis, and secured for movement with said hollow casing on a vertical axis, a vertical propeller driving shaft extending upwardly through said hollow casing and said mounting, a power gear mounted beside the exterior of said mounting, a crank shaft for driving said power gear, said hollow casing extending upwardly through said mounting, said vertical drive shaft extending upwardly to a point above said hollow casing, gearing connecting said vertical drive shaft with said power gear, a steering column, gears connecting said steering column to said hollow casing, and a power gear guard element covering at least a portion of said gear, said guard element having a portion extending therefrom, and said extending portion constituting a journalled supporting brace for said steering column. Y

BOGOIA STREZOFF. 

